Influence of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Buying Behaviour in Fashion Industry

RESEARCH PROJECT

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................3
Background..................................................................................................................................3
Aims and objectives.....................................................................................................................3
Rationale......................................................................................................................................3
Significance.................................................................................................................................4
Structure.......................................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................6
CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................12
CHAPTER 4 – DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION..................................................19
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.....................................................34
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................34
Recommendation.......................................................................................................................35
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................38
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................40
QUESTIONNAIRE...................................................................................................................40

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION
Title- To assess an influence of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour with
respect to Fashion industry: A study on Charles and Ron
Background
Social media marketing referred as the use of online platforms by the firm in order to
connect with its target audience for the purpose of building e brand value, increasing sales and
driving for website traffic. It involves publishing the great content on digital website, engaging
more and more followers, assessing results and running advertisement on social media (Lim and
et.al., 2017). The current research report is based on Charles and Ron, operating as a fashion
company in entire UK. Moreover, the report presents a detailed review on the effect of digital
marketing on the buying behaviour of consumers.
Aims and objectives
Aim
“To analyse an impact of social media promotion on the buying decision of the
consumers in context of Fashion industry: Report on Charles and Ron”
Objectives
 To understand the key concept of consumer buying behaviour
 To identify the significance of social media marketing with regard to fashion industry
 To determine the impact of using social media marketing on the decision-making process
of consumer
 To recommend corrective measures for overcoming the challenges associated with social
media marketing
Rationale
The reason behind conducting this study is to understand an impact of social media
marketing on the buying decision of consumers. This study helped the scholar in knowing the
positive and the negative effects of the social media along with a concept of consumer’s buying
behaviour. Furthermore, it also develops a better understanding of the researcher in relation to
influence of online promotion on the purchasing decision of consumers. Also, this research is of

the interest both in personal and academic interest of the research and because of this the
researcher has selected this topic. It is so because of the fact that the researcher wanted to gain
knowledge that how the social media marketing affect the consumer decision making to a great
extent. Also, this research will help the researcher in gaining the knowledge relating to the
benefits and impact of the social media over the business.
Significance
This research will help the organization in assessing an effect of digital promotion on its
sales and customer base. It also enables other investigators who are looking for making the study
on this particular problem and also the students who are preparing for thesis on this specific
issue. Also, this research is of significance to the company on which the research is being
conducted because this will assist the company in identifying some strategies for increasing the
influence of social media over the consumer decision making. Also, this research is also of
importance to the other competitors of the company on which the research is being conducted.
This is majorly pertaining to the fact that when the research will be conducted and the
recommendation made to Charles and Ron can also be used by the similar companies working in
the same industry. In the end also this research will be of significance to other researchers and
scholars who are also working on the same or similar research topic. Then in this case the current
research can be treated as a base for the new research.
Structure
Chapter 1: Introduction
In this chapter, aims and objectives are framed along with the description regarding the reason
behind making the study and importance of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review
In next chapter, an in depth review is made based on the research problem and objectives framed
with respect to the study. Moreover, this section provides a detailed assessment of the topic by
highlighting all the aspects with regards to the issue.
Chapter 3: Research methodology

Referring to this chapter, various methods have been adopted for the purpose of making the
study more reliable and valid. It includes an application of several approaches and philosophy so
that better results and findings can be drawn by the researcher.
Chapter 4: Data analysis
With respect to this chapter various themes are been created based on the questionnaire prepared
specific to the problem for taking responses of participant and for evaluating results from the
analysis.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations
Under this an overall summary of the report is been presented in addition to it suitable measures
are also been recommended to the organisation with regards to overcome the challenges
associated with social media marketing.

CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW
Theme 1: Understanding buying behaviour of consumer
Voramontri and Klieb (2019), reviewed that consumer behaviour in terms of buying
signifies as an approach of the consumers in relation to buying the product. Therefore, marketing
efforts also focuses on consumption of the consumers with respect to the services, activities,
ideas etc. It is very important for the marketer to understand the manner in which consumer buys
the product. It includes understanding the set of the decisions which the consumer makes over
the time. It refers to the process in which an individual or the group select, dispose, use, ideas,
experiences and the services for satisfying the needs and desire of customer. It is the scientific
learning of the manner in which people make purchases, prefer to buy, time at which they
requires to buy and the reason behind buying. It combines components from anthropology,
psychology, economics and sociology. It made an effort for understanding the decision process
of buyer individually as well as in form or groups. It examines the special features of an
individual consumer like demographics, behavioural and psychographic variables in attempt to
understand need of people. It also includes assessment of influences on consumer with help of
the groups like friends, reference groups, society and family.
But in views of Parker and et.al., (2019) there are various factors that influence buying
decision of the consumers that includes internal and the external factors. The major factors that
influence purchasing decision of consumer are motivation, attitude of the consumer, self concept
& personality, ability for remembering and the channel by which an information is been
processed. The other factor includes cultural, social, personal and family influences. Culture
relates to ideas, values, attitude that allows the people in communicating, evaluating and
interpreting as the member of community. Each and every culture is having the smaller groups
who same beliefs and values t the common life situations & experience. Such group of
consumers play an important role for the marketers as most of these subcultures made an
essential sector of market. There present some of the specific social class in each and every
community. Different country has different class system with respect to its ratio & distribution
point.

The other most vital factor is social factors that affects the behaviour of consumers is the
social groups that are made of the small groups, social status and social roles. Such group has a
direct influence on individual buyer that is membership of an individual in the particular groups
that serve as an indirect or the direct points of the comparison or the reference in form of the
person’s attitude or the beliefs. This indicates that in order to maintain status symbol, buying
decisions of the consumer changes and they are more likely to purchase higher price or trendy
products in the market. Several personal features like gage, lifestyle, occupation, financial, and
personality also has a great influence on the consumer’s decision of buying the product. Shifting
in demand of the person for a product majorly depends on financial situation and the occupation.
Life of an individual affects people’s activities, opinions and an interest that impacts the
product’s choice. All the people have unique personality of the different features that is often
indicated with the traits like sociability, autonomy, self-confidence, dominance, defensiveness,
aggressiveness and adaptability. Even an individual’s economic situation has a larger impact on
his or her purchase behaviour.
Moreover, psychological factors also have a great influence on the buying decisions of a
consumer. This factor includes attitudes, perception, beliefs, motivation etc. When the person
remain as motivated, they act accordingly & actions has been taken over seems as impacted by
the perception of person with regards to a specific situation. Views or perception is counted as an
individual ability in selecting and interpreting information & the company that runs according to
senses of the person. Experience of the new things, brings over a changes to the behaviour of
person. As the result, new attitudes & beliefs are been acquired and thus affects normal
purchasing power of an individual.
Theme 2: Importance of social media marketing
In opinion of Schivinski and Dabrowski (2016), social media marketing is counted as an
essential part of the marketing strategy within the business. Online platforms helps the business
in connecting with large customers at one channel, increases the brand awareness, boot the sales
and leads. It seems as one of profitable and the most stress free digital marketing channel which
could be used for increasing visibility of the business. With an application of digital marketing
strategy, it would help an enterprise in creating its brand awareness significantly by just spending
few hours a week, over 90% of the marketers claimed that their respective online marketing

efforts greatly increases brand visibility & heightened user’s experience. Having the online
website for the brand, business could be able to produce wider audience across the globe.
With respect to an advertising strategy, media marketing is considered as the cost
effective medium through which company can promote its products. Being more and more cost
effective helps in attaining the greater or higher value of return on the investment and in holding
bigger budget for the business payments and marketing. It is the most suitable way for
interacting and engaging with the customers and developing better relation with them. Moreover,
engagement & communication with that of customers is the one of the best way for winning their
attention and in conveying the brand message.
Gretzel (2017) states that in this way brand would be reaching to more and more
audience in the real terms and could achieve success without any kind of Hassle. By connecting
with the customers through social media, an entity is seen as more probable to achieve customer
retention and loyalty of the customers. Developing customer loyalty is reflected as one of the
major goal of any kind of business. Brand loyalty and satisfaction of customers goes hand in
hand so it is very crucial to engage with customers and developing bond with them. Digital
platforms just not limits to introducing product but also act as leading platform e for conducting
promotional campaigns. Customers review these platforms as the service channels at which they
could directly communicate with the firm.
Social media plays vital role in terms of communication and networking platform by
creating voice for an entity in order to improve overall brand image of the company. At the time
when the company post comments on their website, they receives a changed reply rather than
computerized message and this fact is been appreciated by the customers. A brand value which
value its customers, takes time for composing personal message that is been perceived naturally
in the positive light. It is seen as one of best ways in finding out the needs and the wants of
customers rather directly communicating or coordinating with them. It is considered as most
valuable benefit of social media as by observing an activity on the profile, company can know
about opinion and interest of customers. Social media assist the firm in getting the information
and a better understanding of industry.